Submarine tower-barge for raising sunken vessels.



N. F. CHAMBERLIN. SUBMARINE TOWER BARGE FOR RAISING SUNKEN VESSELS.

APPLICATION HLED APR.8

Patented Aug. 20, 1918.

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SUBMARINE TOWER BARGE FOR RAISING SUNKEN VESSELS. APPLICATION FILED APR. 8, 1918.

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NEWTON IE. CHAMBERLIN, 0F LIBERTYVILLE, ILLINOIS.

SUBMARINE TOWER-BARGE FOR RAISING SUNKEN VESSELS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 2o, rare.

Application filed April 8, 1918. Serial No. 227,238.

b To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, NEWTON F. CHAM BERLIN, citizen of the United States, residing at Libertyville, in the county of Lake and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Submarine Tower-Barges for Raising Sunken Vessels, of which the following is a specification.

This-invention relates to submarine tower barges for raising sunken vessels. More particularly it belongs to that class of wrecking apparatus wherein are comprised vessels capable of being lowered into the water on either side of a sunken vessel by admitting water into them, and, after some attachment has been made to the sunken vessel those at the sides are pumped out and by their buoyancy raise the wreck to or to ward the surface of the water enabling it to be towed into a suitable locality or position for salvage.

The object of this invention is the production of barges for the purpose stated,

each barge being provided with open-work metal tower constructions having special construction and arrangement. Such towers are arranged near the ends of the barge and between them is erected a. middle or working tower from which the various operations may be conducted. It is also an object of this invention to produce a barge divided longitudinally and transversely by bulkheads to prevent the effect of the surging of the water within the barge when sinking, and to provide certain of the bulkheads which are used to form a water-distributing compartment with valves whereby water may be excluded from certain portions of the barge when operating to maintain the same on a desired level at all times. As the barges are sunk along side of a wreck, and finally reach and rest upon the bottom, it is the intention to have the towers of such height that their upper portions will stand above the water, or, the towers and the various operating connections carried thereby may be elongated incase of need. Each tower carries one or more cables that have been previously worked under the ends bow and stern of the wreck as more fully explained hereinafter and the cables are laid in grooved beds borne by the towers on the sides thereof. The cables pass over the tops of the towers and may be attached to the towers by clamping them in their beds as shown and described.

In the drawings forming a part of this application and illustrating the particular middle or working tower. settingv forth the devices for operating the bulkhead valves and'the sea-cock, and showing also the upper end of the water pipe by which the barge is pumped out when raising the sunken vessel.

Fig. 5 is a front View of a portion of one of the grooved beds for the cables, and shows a clamp whereby the cable may be secured to the bed. Fig. 6 is .a cross-section on broken line 6-6 of Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a vertical sectional view of one of the bulkheads forming the water-distributing compartment in the middle of the barge, with the opening through the bulkhead, the valve for controlling the opening, and the rack and geared and grooved pulley and cable by which the valve is operated. Fig. '8 illustrates one of the cross-ties in cross-section and shows the mode of bolting the cross-tie to the vertical parts of the frame of the members constituting one of the towers. Fig. 9 is a view of the upper portion of one of the closed air tanks located within. one of themembers of a tower, and shows the Fig. 4 is a side View on an enmeans of attaching the tank to the tower for harass? nearest the observer in Fig- 2 is shown the air tank 53. Considering Fig. 9, 1t Wlll be seen that the tank 53 is secured to the irons cable to the bed.

of the tower 44 by brackets 54.

The deck 55 of the barge is supported and braced by the bulkheads beneath it in the customary manner, to withstand contained air pressure and external water pressure. The whole is made strong enough for the work expected of it.

In Fig. 3 the second barge is referred to by number 56, and the tower upon it comprises the member 57 shown. The barges in 'Fig. 3 are in cross-section upon the broken line 33 of Fig. 2.

Next considering Fig. 5, it will be seen that the grooved bed 39 is occupied by the cable 40, and a clamp plate 58 secures the The same parts are shown also in Fig- 6.

Considering Fig. 8, it will be noted that the cross-tie 38 occupies the space 36 be-v tween the members 34 and. 35 of the tower, and that the cross-tie may be secured to the tower by a bolt 59. y

Considering Fig. 4, which represents a side view of the top of the workin tower 20 on an enlarged scale, it will be 0 served that the lengthening of the tower is provided for by including in the rope 29 the couplings 60 and 61, which, it will be understoo may be unfastened and a longer piece of rope introduced. The rope 32 includes the couplings 62 and 63. he main angle irons of the tower 20 are provided with the joints 64:, 65, 66' and 67 for like erg ing been connected by the cross-ties to space the barges apart the required distance,.they are towed into proper position so that in sinking they will go down one upon one side and the other upon the other side. of the Wreck. The anchors with which the barges are provided are next put down to hold them in place. The operator upon the working or middle tower opens the sea-cock on each barge and the water enters the hulls and finds its way through the openings in the bulkheads to all the compartments. If it is discovered that in spite of the efi'ect of the closed chambers 2 and 3 at the end of a barge or barges one end is sinking faster than the other end, the water is temporarily shutoff from the lower end by working either of the valves 25 or 26 in the waterdistributing chamber depending upon which end is the lower. It is believed to be clear that if one barge is found'to be sinking faster than the other, the entering water may be shut off by the sea-cock or by the valves until the balance is again attained. Manifestly, a corresponding balancing operation may be carried out during the rising movement'of the two barges by working the valves suitably after the sea-cocks are closed. 1

When the barges have been sunk beside the wreck, the cables are drawn taut over the tops of'the towers and made fast. The tops of all towers are as stated above the surface of the water even if they must be extended to bring them so. Next the hulls of the barges are pumped out, the water purposes of extension. The rod 16 by which with an additional piece to add to its length,

and the pipe coupling 69 in the water pipe 19 permits an extra length of pipe to be inserted when desired.

To permit the air to leave the hull and to reenter it during the operation, the bulkheads are provided with the upper openings 70, and an airpipe 71 extends from theinterior of the hull to the top of the tower, as shown in Fig. 3. Any number of air pipes ma be employed.

n the practical operation of this invention there are used two or more tugboats providedwith adequate pumping machinery,

oisting derricks for arranging the crossties as shown in the spaces between .the members of the fore and aft towers, and winches for drawing'upon the cables. After finding a sunken-vessel that is to be raised, the two'tugs take each an end of a cable and work itback and forth in the usual manner until the cable is dragged under'the bow of the wreck a desired distanoe. Then buoys are attached to the ends and another cable is worked under the stern in the same way. Now, the two barges havpassing upwardly through the pipe 19 in the working tower of each barge, and the wreck is either brought to the surface and temporarily repaired to make it float, or it and the attached barges as well are towed into shallow water where the wreck may be conveniently worked upon. It is believed that by the use of this invention as set forth, much time may be saved, and that many sunken ships may be raised without the em ployment of coder-dams or like expensive and necessarily slow processes. Furthermore, this invention is capable of being taken from one point of operation to another and the same appliances are useful to the same degree for raising ships of practically any size large or small.

Havin now described this invention and explaine the mode of its operation, what I claim is 1. In apparatus for raising sunken vessels, the combination with a hull havin airabove the said operating compartment, a sea valve opening into the said operating com.- partment, means for actuating the said sea valve and extending to the top of the said operating tower, the said compartment having bulkheads separating the compartment from the interior of the hull, openings in the lower parts of the said bulkheads near the bottom of the hull, water valves arranged to control the said openings, means extending to the top 01*? the said operating tower for opening and closing the said water valves individually, and a water pipe opening in the said compartment and extending to the top of the operating tower.

2. ln apparatus for raising sunken vessels, the combination with a hull, of towers arranged at the bow and stern of the said hull, the said towers having downwardly and outwardly inclined sides extending to the side surfaces of the hull, the said towers having calole grooves upon the said inclined sides and extending over the tops, the said hull having an operating compartment, a

' sea valve opening into the said operating compartment, an operating tower erected upon the hull above the sai operating compartment, means for actuating the sea valve and extending to the top of the said operating tower, the said compartment having bulkheads separating the compartment from the interior of the hull, openings in the lower parts o1 the said bulkheads near the bottom of the hull, water valves arranged to control the said openings, means extending to the top of the said operating tower for opening and closing: the said water valves individually, and a water pipe opening in tne said compartment and extending to the top of the said operating tower.

3. In apparatus for raising sunken vessels, the cor bination with a hull having airtight sealed compartments at the ends, of

open-work towers arranged at the bow and stern of the said hull, the said towers havingcable grooves upon the sides and passing over the tops, the said hull having a middle compartment provided with bulkheads separating it from the interior of the hull, an open-work operating tower erected upon the hull over the said middle compartment, a sea valve opening into the-said middle compartment, means for said sea valve extending to the top of the said operating tower, openings in the lower parts or the said bulkheads, water valves arranged to control the said openings, means extending to the top of the said operating tower for opening and closing the said water valves, and a waterpipe opening in the said middle compartment and extending to the top or the said operating tower.

1-. in apparatus for raismg sunken vessels, the combination with a hull, of means carried by the said hull for engaging a sunken vessel, the said hull having an oper ating compartment provided with bulkheads partitioning it from the interior of the said hull, an operating tower erected upon the hull above the said compartment, a sea valve opening into the said compartment, means for actuating the sea valve and extending to the top of the said operating tower,.openings in the lower parts of the said bulkheads, water valves arranged to control the said openings, means extending to the top of the said operating tower for opening and closing the said water valves, and a water pipe opening in the said com- 'partment and extending to the top of the said operating tower.

In testimony whereof ll aflix my signature.

NEWTQN F. CHAMBEELIN,

actuating the 

